Brace yourself, Dreamers, because Dreamstate is on the horizon. Some Americans will be spending their Memorial Day weekend drinking a chill beer and BBQ’ing with their immediate families, saluting the fallen soldiers that have given up their lives for our freedom. However, for some of us in San Francisco, we’ll be honoring those with our extended Trance Families at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday.

After missing his EDC set last year, Ben Nicky is one of the DJs that I am most thrilled to see on the opening night. The Englishman will be making his way from Chicago to The Bay to astonish us with his energetic style. If you enjoyed his set last year or like banging your head to his Headf**k Radio, then you have to check him out. Make sure your trance-pants are on tight enough, so they don’t slip off while you’re jumping away.

I know this is cheesy, but I am excited for Gareth Emery on Sunday. Yes, yes, yes, I know there are many DJs on this day that are just as good or, if not, better than someone whom I’ve seen many times before. However, there’s something about closing out a trance festival with a man who knows how to put together a perfect combination of uplifting melodies and touching lyrics. For us who have listened to his single “Saving Light” (a collaboration with Standerwick featuring Haliene) on repeat knows that it just feels sooooooo gooooood. If closing out another festival with Emery makes me a basic bro, then I will wear my tank top and indoor stunna shades with pride. #PLUR.

Of course, I would be committing a sin if I don’t mention how EXCITED I am to see Markus Schulz presents Dakota. For those of you who don’t know, Dakota is his alias for the darker, more techno side of electronic music. Read more about his return to this side of music with his interview on Dreamstate USA and his upcoming The Nine Skies project where he explores the “nine steps we go through in our quest for enlightenment.”

Schulz has some encouraging words for us faithful as he prepares for the first show for us in SF: “It’s not just music or a concert; it’s a whole audiovisual art show. It’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but I feel like I need to do something like this right now.”

For those who want to keep the party going Saturday night, the Dreamstate After Party hosted by the Phoria Events team at Ruby Skye. Local acts Alastair James, Joseph Martinez, Dmitri Reign and Jonny Atom will open the stage for the legendary Simon Patterson. Phoria’s headmaster, Niko Zografos, will close out the evening (or late morning depending on how hard you wanna party for THE LAST TRANCE SHOW AT RUBY SKYE!!!).

What started out as an answer to the cries of trance fans for a stage that represents their taste in euphoric music and psychedelic synths have metamorph into a festival phenomenon. Compared to big room house or bass music, trance is a sound that everyone can find the warmth of a community, a sense of home for those who have felt like outcasts. Its survival and current zeitgeist in electronic music is a testament its success.

PS, on the topic of Memorial Day, I want to pay my respect to Rober Miles. I have danced my fat Asian a$$ to “Children” many of times on the DDR machine, and I know the Trance Family will be feeling the lost of a legend.

Hot from his Gouryella set at the SoCal Dreamstate, Ferry Corsten will be bringing the holiday warmth from The Dream Stage to the cold San Francisco night this Friday. Many trance fans will need some uplifting trance before the chaos of S.F. SantaCon, an annual event where a bunch of loose Santas drunkenly roam the holiday streets of The City. Of course this event isn’t related to red coats and limp Santahats, but this is still an event to attend. With local support from Billy Horn and Jonny Atom, Phoria has a lovely evening waiting for you with aspiring talents and superstar DJs alike. So come, my friends, if you’re looking for a night to party, an evening of euphoric feelz or just a simple place for shelter on the eve of the Santa pandemonium this weekend. This is a great way to start off your December, with a healthy helping of Trance from our Phoria family to yours.

It wasn’t too long ago that we at Phoria celebrated our one year anniversary as a premier trance provider in San Francisco. Even though the party is long over, that doesn’t mean we can’t relieve the festivities. Thanks to some carefully blended words and Afterhours.FM recording of the sets Friday night, we can give those who were not able to attend a quick glimpse of what magic occurred at Ruby Skye.

Mr. Phoria himself started the night off for Mental Asylum. It may have been minimal, but it was a proper opening for a night full of talented DJs who were not afraid to tear up the dance floor. Zografos welcomed us with rhythmic house beats that hypnotically swayed clubbers from the bar and onto the dance floor. Towards the end of his set, Zografos introduced techno elements that slowly ushered in Billy Horn.

Billy Horn, another resident Phoria DJ, picked up where the techno left off. Horn spun those electronic snare that was enticing but still courteous to the headlining DJs as he was careful to stay within a respectful BPM. The consistent groove guided people on the dance floor. It wasn’t till the end of his set that Horn decided to kick it up a notch and play some upbeat trance, setting the stage for tech-trance mastermind Mark Sherry.

When it was time for the craziness of Mental Asylum to start, the lights blacken out as a dark figure approached the decks. The intimate trance lovers immediately knew who it was through the darkness and roared. With that signal, the lights flashed on and Mark Sherry emerged with his hard electronic sound. The speakers produced a haste thumping bass, accompanied with underlying synths and snares. It wasn’t quite techno as the trance elements choreographed the beats into something that was borderline uplifting. There may have been people new to the sounds of Mark Sherry, but at that moment everyone felt his presences as he came out swinging. It could have been that techno style loop of familiar beats, thumping bass or the flashing lights but one could have easily gotten lost as Sherry’s music surrounded everyone in an enclosed musical bubble.

Along with his own production, Sherry played tracks like his remix of “Remember This”, “The Evil” and “Generate”, Familiar tracks like those got the crowd revved up as they displayed their gratitude with claps, cheers and chats of Sherrys name. Amongst the hard beats of tech-trance, Sherry wasn’t afraid to uplift it up a notch. The best part of his set was something you don’t see often from trance DJs. If you pay close attention to the beginning of his set, you can hear Sherry ‘play’ with his tracks. It wasn’t exactly scratching, but he looped some beats and played around with the flow of the music, adding to the raw electronic feel of techno. His interaction with the decks kept us on our toes as we were thrown some unexpected DJing! It’s great to see a DJ actually DJ instead of pushing play. His set was energetic and aggressive all the way into the end. It was grand.

After the robotic trance style of Mark Sherry, it was finally time for the man of the hour to make his way to the stage. Indecent Noise approached the crowd and was met with cheers. Getting straight to business, I.N. turned up the speakers to rush the crowd with the dark eerie sounds of psychedelic trance. Compared to Sherry’s frontal assault, I.N. sound flanked the now packed dance floor with bass, psychedelic synths, and soundbites from what seemed to be from sci-fi movies. Nothing says psy-trance like sci-fi stuff. You didn’t know what to believe as the complex melodies that were carefully layered upon one another with a high tempo riff turned the fantasy of Mental Asylum into a dancing reality.

Nothing was safe from I.N. sound. The fan’s were bopping and jumping fiercely as they heard remixes of “Ping Pong”, “Fire Wire”, and the classic of all classics when you just wanna rave, “Sandstorm”. Our very own Niko Zografos was onstage when the crowd went nuts to this 90s hit. Then it was Zografos turn to go nuts as I.N. played Ferry Tayle remix of our home theme “Phoria“. The tunes this man was playing was MENTAL!

An unexpected remix that I.N. played was “A Thing Called Love”. It was amazing to see the heartwarming lyrics of Above & Beyond transporting the crowd into a euphoric state before I.N. hit the nos button with a harder and darker remix of the crowd pleasr. Even dedicated fans of Anjunabeats appreciated the new rendition of a beloved classic. “I love that these guys are starting to branch out to Ajuna. And I Love it!” Camele, aka Ajunaslut, said.

Not only did I.N. pull classics out of left field, but he also blended the idea of genre. One of the best surprises from his set was when he decided to switch gears and play hardstyle. This pleased professional ravers and weekend warriors alike. It was quite the trip I would say when I think back to his set. So check it out!

As the night started to wind down on Friday night, James Dymond took the stage to a still trance hungry crowd. While still keeping the momentum of the previous two powerhouse, Dymond feed the people below him euphoric trance that was energetic and a flavor only reserved for his own style. His set was musically enriched where only one of a history like his in classical music can deliver. This was definitely the part of the night where fans can hear a style of trance that flowed up and down a familiar euphoric journey.

Hands were in the air and eyes were closed during his set. The club may have lost some attendees due to the late of the night, but everyone who was there was still feeling the music as Dymond conducted the melodies to our ears. If Dymond was a seashell, you could hear the waves of beautiful music crashing into your soul. The highlight of his set was when he played a remix of the trance classic “Castles in the Sky”, adding a few harder bassline in the melody. His set was the perfect way to end a night of hard-hitting music.

And then it was time to bring in the trance legend, Ferry Corsten, for round two with Stephanie covering.

Warming up the dance floor for us was the one and only Niko Zografos. Experienced with opening sets, Zografos nailed his job. He had the perfect opening easing into the night with his cool melodies. Even at the beginning of his set, there were already small groups of people grooving and beginning to get others sitting on the sidelines pumped. As people began to mill into Ruby Skye, I left the floor to meet trance legend Ferry Corsten and I got him to sign my Tomorrowworld flag! Back on the floor, or lack thereof, I couldn’t believe what I had gotten into! I was squeezing through people just to find my friends while everyone was going wild to Niko’s set, the change of pace raising the crowd’s energy and excitement level. Soon Niko closed out his set and it was time to experience a magical 3-hour journey through the night.

Ferry Corsten brought the fire, throwing down some old school trance goodies like “Airwaves” from Rank 1 and surprisingly even throwing in Darude’s “Sandstorm”. The crowd went absolutely nuts! I’ve never heard so many people at once going ‘dudududududu’ and tried stepping on the floor like it was a giant Dance Dance Revolution pad! If you were standing right next to me, you would have probably heard me screaming when Ferry put on his single from 2012 ‘Live Forever’ featuring Aruna. Ferry kept the feels going that night playing sing-a-longs likes his own mix of Kaskade’s ‘Sleep Alone’ and Dash Berlin’s rework ‘Sky Full of Stars’. Then in the middle of the set, Ferry announced that his next track would be the first time it would be played live, his remake of ‘Gouryella – Anahera’! It was truly a moment and night to remember. Ferry continued strong throughout the night, even going past 3am and giving John Beaver only 20 minutes to play before Ruby Skye closed for the night. Beaver continued on strong for his 20-minute set giving it his all.

So there you have it folks, we know it was a thick read but we had to cover four amazing DJs for our birthday party. It was a great night for music and feels. Make sure y’all check out our other events coming up like the Gabriel & Dresden *OPEN TO CLOSE CLASSIC* set. it will be a great one. Before you leave, check out the pictures below of the meet and greet winners of that weekend. Till next time.

This weekend will be a special one for us at Phoria, it’s the celebration of our first whole year as a premium trance provider for the lovely fans in San Francisco. Since this is our first anniversary party, we decided that this kind of milestone can’t be crammed into one night. Instead we are spreading the love for two nights of birthday celebrations as Phoria host Mark Sherry, Indecent Noise, James Dymond and Ferry Corsten!!!

For the first night at Ruby Skye, Phoria presents Mental Asylum. This dark psy-trance themed night is stacked with three DJ’s that are sure to blow your mind with eerie psychedelic sounds of the dark side. Don’t worry club goers, Mental Asylum is the name of the record label; there are not going to be any mental patients running around . . . I think.

Indecent Noise is the head mental man of Mental Asylum Records. Representing Poland, Aleksander Stawierej is the man behind the decks providing that indecent noise that causes unsuspecting club goers to dance their face off. His music is unique as it combines elements of techno with his already hard hitting trance. The perfect combination of melody’s creates a psy-trance bombardment that confuses your senses in a perfect harmony as you dance the night away. His remixes of familiar trance songs will have you question your minds ability to remember the original tune as the new and infused remix stimulates your neurons. The noise of Indecent Noise isn’t just your run of the mil psy-trance, it’s something different that will make you also question the concept of musical genre and blur its boundary. If you like weird electronic sounds and a fast BPM, then this man is your man.

Coming from London, we have James Dymond. This 23 year old DJ is changing the game and sound of trance today. All of his success from producing epic trance can be contributed to his background in classical music. Dymond is a talented DJ who even caught the eyes of past DJ Mag #1 Armin Van Buuren. His bio claims that his music is “emotionally charged” with “uplifting melodies that fills the biggest of dance floors” and has “huge orchestral breakdowns that instantly lifts moods and driving percussion that raises pulses.” Well I can say that this claim is true. Listening to his liveset posted above, I can hear the careful precision of music that only a conductor can beautifully manifest. Dymond has a great ability to combine trance, tech-trance, uplifting breakdowns, progressive, whatever you name it, into a stunning electronic symphony. There may not be any live instruments Friday, but there will be a whole lotta bass conducted by a musical mastermind. So come check him out.

Scottish producer Mark Sherry is no stranger to the tech-trance scene and has been contributing to the rapidly growing world of trance since the early 90s. His remixes and productions are mind-blowingly awesome. Just like his genre suggests, his tracks and everything he touches contains a repetitive techno like beat that pulses throughout the song but rides a wave of feels as it’s trance elements kicks in. The beats goes up and down, in and out, repeating a similar tone that is refined to knock our socks off. You can’t help but jump around until there is silence. There is a sense of raw energy in his livesets that one cannot deny. The energy of synths and bass just keeps coming and won’t stop. Sherry’s tracks have been supported by other powerhouse DJs such as Markus Schulz and Max Graham. So if you’re looking for an energetic set that won’t let you rest, then make sure you catch Mark Sherry!

Prepare yourselves, trance legend Ferry Corsten is coming once again to bestow upon us a night of feels and high energy electro music! With his success streaming from songs such as “Gouryella” with Tiesto and his popular radioshow Corsten’s Countdown, there seems to be no end to the possibilities! Ferry even hosts his own stage named FULL ON at festivals such as Tomorrowworld and has his own pick of other producers/DJs that he even plays back to back with. With a perfect mix of trance, progressive house, and electro, Ferry Corsten will take you out for the night of your life! Just like his class track says. “Everything is beautiful.” (Bonus points if you could figure out which song that’s from. And I’m sure that if you attend this Saturday with us and Ferry Corsten, it would be one of the “many ways to change a life.”

Be sure to join us for our one year anniversary celebration. If you can’t make it then don’t worry, we’re very happy & proud to announce that our 1 year anniversary weekend, the first night will be broadcasted live on Afterhours.FM!!! The party starts at 9 PM West Coast time so tune in. Of course it would be better to witness this event live, but if you can’t then you have a way to join the party. Hope to see you this weekend, it’s going to be grand!

This weekend Phoria will not only be hosting one, or two, or three, but FOUR DJs for our anniversary celebration. Luckily you can check out on this post for both of the contest for a chance to either win special VIP tickets or a meet & greet. All you gotta do is share on Twitter, like on Facebook, invite your friends or spam some randoms, and . . . well you’ll see when you click on the link.

Win a Mental Asylum VIP Backstage Package

To celebrate Phoria’s one-year anniversary on the first night, TWO winners will receive:

– Backstage Wristbands for You and a Friend for Mental Asylum at Ruby Skye
– Meet & Greet with THREE DJS: Indecent Noise, Mark Sherry and James Dymond
– Free Mental Asylum Merchandise

Meet & Greet with Ferry Corsten at Ruby Skye

For the second night of Phoria’s one year anniversary, the legendary Ferry Corsten will be taking the stage with two of SF stars, John Beaver and our very own Niko Zografos. TranceFamily SF has provided at special meet and greet for one half of big room trance sensation New World Punx.

With a little more than 24 hours left to enter, there are 13 ways to enter. So make sure you do ’em all.

After a crazy weekend with David Gravell at Slide, we are back this Friday with Ben Gold at Ruby Skye!
Also, we’re NOW announcing May 22nd at Ruby Skye, we are presenting Super8 & Tab Plus Jaytech!

This Friday our anthem ‘Phoria’ is coming out on Future Sound of Egypt/Armada on Beatport.com! All information is listed below. Thank you for following and supporting Phoria! Very big Summer shows will be announced soon!

For the next addition to Future Sound of Egypt’s outstanding catalogue, American producer Mitka teamed up with fellow-countryman Niko Zografosto bring you ‘Phoria’. There’s no denying the beautiful atmosphere of this tune, when the sweet melody takes you to places you wish you’ve discovered ages ago. Add the energetic remix by the undoubtedly skilful Ferry Tayle and you know for certain that ‘Phoria’ will ensure its place on your playlist for a very long time.

‘Phoria’ was recently played twice on Future Sound of Egypt by Aly & Fila, episodes 385 & 386. It was voted as Future Sound by the listeners.